Faculty Directory

Technology Assessment & Foresight

Proposal Evaluation & Program Management, Technology Transfer

Biomass Assessment, Biofuels, Bioenergy, Bioprocess & Bioproducts

Biorefinery, Seaweed Technology, Tele-digital Healthcare, Water Chemistry

Technology Development and Demonstrations

The programme aimed at catalyzing technology development & demonstration projects for bioproducts & biofuels from biomass with a view to optimize their utilization and enzymatic conversions for environment friendly processes.

Conducted in-depth techno-market studies and prepared roadmaps on critical topics including double-fortified salts, xylitol, and biodiesel.

• Implementation of plasma pyrolysis for biomedical waste disposal.
• Development of environmentally-friendly chemical processes for products such as acephate, esfenvalerate, mononitrotiluene and gallic acid
• Biotech innovations in pharma & waste management
• Advanced health sector technologies like coronary brachytherapy stents and irreversibly temperature-sensitive labels.

• Enzymatic bioconversions of racemic molecules for stereo-specific active pharma ingredients (API)
• Process optimization for alkali stable cellulase
• Prostaglandins and their advanced intermediates; Pharma grade chitosan and value-added formulations
• Project on setting up Centre for Biofuels- Phase I & Phase -II for pilot demonstration
• Efficient utilization of jatropha seed cake by detoxification and recovery of residual hydrocarbon
• Production of L-arginine by fermentation; Biotechnology based process for waste reduction in potato processing
• Characterization of agro-residues biomass in India
• Assessment Studies and Road map on Production and Utilization of Methanol and Di-Methyl-Ether (DME),etc.

Developed National Repository on Biomass crop residues with IARI on PAN India -Study report on countrywide biomass assessment of crop residues & spatial information system created which was conceptualized and coordinated by me helped Government and industry to put up lingo-cellulosic (LC) ethanol as recommended under New Biofuel Policy (NBP)-2018 and also to facilitate site suitability of bioenergy plants. The data generated and uploaded in the TIFAC website would help industries to set up demonstration plant on bioethanol, which is a clean source of fuel from second generation biomass, contributing towards climate change mitigation efforts and strengthening of the rural economy as mandated in NBP -2018.

Spatial Mapping of Bioenergy Potential in India and developed BHUVAN JAIVOORJA portal with NRSC, Hyderabad-The portal covered district wise estimated surplus biomass disaggregated at 1 km grid level to produce spatial map of surplus biomass and bioenergy potential. Many thematic layers are also covered such as Land use Land Cover (LULC) map, waste land & transport network, major rivers and surface water bodies information, petrol and gas pumps, gas pipe line information, administrative boundaries, road network, to facilitate site suitability of bioenergy plants. The BHUVAN geo-portal is a useful tool for online visualization, annotation, delineation. Under its spatial query module, one can draw a Point of Interest (POI) over the map, delineate a fetch area and calculate the amount and type of biomass available & bioenergy. It can also provide the information about the nearest town/railway station/petrol pump along with map and statistics of LULC over the fetch area, which is useful for the bioenergy production plant to set up. The project was completed in 2020.

The report on ‘Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients- Status, Issues, Technology Readiness, and Challenges’ was published & released by Dr Harsh Vardhan, former Union Minister for Science & Technology, Health and Family Welfare and Earth Sciences on July 10, 2020. With a view to scale up indigenous production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) to a level where the production is economically viable, it identified a list of APIs that need prioritized manufacturing and the associated advantages. 

Demonstration of Tele-digital health pilot program: TIFAC as part of its continuous efforts to bring new technologies for the benefit of the Society and as an initiative towards Swasth Bharat, in collaboration with IIT M Pravartak Technologies Foundation and C DAC- Mohali was completed successfully. Three Outreach Academic Partners (OAPs) have been roped in for local monitoring & Coordination and generation of health data in each selected district. The key health parameters that were analyzed are: ECG, Heart Rate, BP, Temp, SpO2, Blood Sugar, Lipid Profile, Hemoglobin & Fetal Doppler. More than~180 villages have been covered and ~ 80000/-tests conducted by 3 OAPs. The successful demonstration expected in providing affordable quality healthcare to a vast majority of Indian masses including those living in remote areas and providing affordable quality healthcare to a vast majority of Indian masses.

Seaweeds Cultivation and Utilisation- Prospects in India- Report was which explored the economic potential of seaweeds and outline approaches for utilization, employment generation and export potential of seaweed. A project titled ‘ Scaling-up of cultivation process for Monostroma sp. and seedlings production of Gracilaria dura under semi-control conditions’ was completed successfully, which was in collaboration with CSIR-CSMCRI and ICSSIR. The major target was scaling up the production of Monostroma of seaweed (upto 5000 lit.) by optimising the culture conditions and comparative evaluation of bio-effects on survival and regeneration in Gracilaria Dura sp. The site visit was carried out at seaweed grow out site at Simar near Diu in February 2024. The study substantially contributed to knowledge on process and issue of scaled up culture of identified seaweed species. The project could form the basis for new seaweed industries in coastal regions, development of new products and applications etc. that can collectively contribute towards sustainable economic growth of the nation. Further, the efforts would successfully provide diversification of livelihood for coastal community, who are battling with dwindling fisheries